Darkness and Light
by Semplice424
Summary: The shinobi war is over, and Sasuke has been captured and detained.  But he has not changed.  How will Team 7 repair their bonds, and what will happen to Sakura when he includes her in his plans?  SasuSaku.
1. Prologue:  Recollection

**Prologue: Recollection**

_It's over._ Sakura exhaled deeply as she remembered all that had happened in the previous weeks. Madara had declared war on the ninja world, and had allied with Kabuto to try and capture the last tailed beasts, Naruto and Bee. Numerous lives were lost, and countless people were injured. But now, it was over. Madara was defeated and once again, there was peace.

_Peace? No, I don't think it'll ever be truly peaceful again._ Sakura curled up on her chair and looked down at the paperwork on her desk. _Too much has changed,_ she thought. _And we'll never go back to how we used to be._

She closed her eyes and thought back to how terribly hurt Naruto had been after he was brought in to the medical centre. He had looked her in the eye and told her that Sasuke would be coming back. That he had kept his promise. "Yeah," Sakura murmured softly to herself. "Sasuke-kun has returned to Konoha, but...It's not right."

Sasuke had nearly killed Naruto before he was finally captured and detained by Konoha's ANBU squad. Now, the former Orochimaru lackey would spend every last second of his life in the village's most guarded jail cell. He would never see the light of day again. And that, Sakura remembered, was already considered a light punishment for him. All the village leaders, especially the Raikage, had wanted the Uchiha dead. They had wanted him hanged and burned in public, where everyone could see his disgrace. _But Tsunade-sama was kind enough to spare his life,_ Sakura smiled in recollection.

Madara had disappeared after his loss. No one knew where he was, and though the shinobi world still thought of him as a dangerous man, the leaders agreed that he wouldn't attack for another good hundred years. Kabuto's body was found near his lair, and he was buried somewhere near the Hidden Village of Sound. His Edo Tensei zombies all met the same fate as their creator.

The sound of the doorbell ringing pulled Sakura away from her thoughts. "I'm coming!" She yelled as she ran down the stairs. She unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Oh, Naruto…Sai…Hello." She smiled weakly at the two boys standing on her doorstep. "What brings you here?" She glanced up at Naruto, who still had bandages on his face and a cast on his right arm. Sai was in better shape, but there were bruises on his skin and a melancholic look in his dark eyes.

Naruto managed to grin back at his teammate. "Don't tell me you've forgotten, Sakura-chan," he whined. "You do know what today is, right?" He rubbed at his cheek, wincing a bit.

Sakura looked down. Of course she knew, but there was a part of her that wished she was never informed. "Yeah," she said, trying to keep her voice light. "Today is the day…"

"Today is the day Team Kakashi is allowed to visit Sasuke-kun," Sai finished for her in a flat voice. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. "Come on now. You do wish to see that traitor, don't you? If we don't depart now, we'll miss visiting hours."

Sakura was still for a moment. Naruto waved a free hand in front of her face. "Hey, you alright?" He frowned, staring at the kunoichi with an earnest look in his eyes. "If…If you're uncomfortable about going, it's okay. You don't have to go."

"N-n-no! I'll go," Sakura stepped forward and walked in between her teammates. "I_ want_ to go. C'mon, we're going to be late!" She skipped ahead of Naruto and Sai, smiling wide. She hoped that they couldn't tell how heavy-hearted she felt, how nervous she was. Of course she wanted to see Sasuke-kun, but could she? She didn't know what state he was in, or how he felt about being held in prison. She didn't even know whether he'd want to see his old teammates again. _Probably not_, she thought. _But…We won't stay too long. We won't bother him. He's still Sasuke-kun…He won't hurt us._ She repeated this over and over in her head.

"Hey, wait up!" Naruto wobbled as he tried to catch up to Sakura.

Sai smiled to himself. _Their bonds are still strong,_ he thought. _ I wonder if they'll always stay this way._

**This is my first fanfiction! Please review. Expect awesomeness in the next chapters!**


	2. Chapter 1:  To the Prison

**Chapter 1: To the Prison**

The three of them walked silently down the streets of Konoha. The village was still in ruins, but as Sakura could see, everyone was working very hard to rebuild it. She watched men, not all of them shinobi, struggling to fix the old Konohagakure Library, and their loved ones who were standing not far away, supporting them with kind words of encouragement. Sakura missed that library. Before, she would spend hours there reading about the latest medical technologies and herbs. Ino would sometimes join her, and occasionally even Sai. Sakura sighed. Hopefully not too many books were ruined.

A few minutes later, Naruto nudged her. "Sakura-chan, we're almost there." Sakura looked up to see a black, metal building as wide as it was tall. It had no windows, and the roof was circular and closed tight. Above its doors, there was sign entitled Konohagakure Red Gate Prison. Everyone knew about this prison. It had the most inescapable jail cells in all five hidden villages, and it was guarded by the secretive ANBU squad, who lingered in the shadows with a watchful eye. It was called the "red gate" prison because in fact, its doors were painted a bright, almost bloody crimson. Before, Sakura would always cringe and look the other way whenever she passed by this jailhouse. There was a certain evil atmosphere around it, and being a medic who worked her hardest to keep away from darkness in the body or mind, Sakura felt that it went against her dogma.

But today, she _had _to go in. She _had _to walk through its twisted hallways and be in the presence of internationally wanted mission nin. They all had to.

Kakashi was waiting for them at the bloodred doors. Leaning against the cold metal gates with his favourite book, Make out Paradise, in his hands, he greeted his students. "Hello! Naruto-kun, Sakura-san, Sai-kun."

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto ran up to his instructor excitedly. Sakura and Sai stayed calm and walked slowly up the path to their teammate's position. "You're coming with us too, sensei?" Sakura gazed up at Kakashi with a somewhat worried look in our eyes.

"Well of course," he replied, putting his book back in his pouch. "We _are_ 'team Kakashi'. It wouldn't be right if I didn't go pay my respects to my former student, don't you think?"

Sai glanced at the jounin who was obviously having a hard time concealing the bitterness in his voice. _These people have gone through so much for that Uchiha,_ he thought. _But now that they have reached their goal, why is it that they are not happy? Perhaps no matter how hard I try to understand, I never will. _"I…" he began, stuttering a bit. "I probably shouldn't go in with you. I haven't been with you long enough to comprehend what this means to you, so I do not wish to ruin this moment for you with my presence." He looked away, feeling uncomfortable. He turned around, ready to leave.

"You're overthinking things, I believe," Kakashi told him with a slight smile. "From what I remember and know, you are a member of this team. Perhaps Sasuke _doesn't_ mean as much to you than to the others, but I don't think leaving you behind would be a fitting thing to do. Come along now," he waved back Sai's protests and proceeded to take out a heavy copper key from his vest. Unlocking the brilliant red doors, he stepped to the side. "The doors will automatically lock themselves again in thirty seconds, and my key won't work again after that happens. So please, Naruto…Lead the way."

After their IDs were confirmed by the lone kunoichi standing in the main hall of the jailhouse, the members of Team Kakashi made their way through the long, dark halls. Kakashi was handed a key by a guard; It was the key to Sasuke's cell. "Don't look into any of the prisoners' eyes," Kakashi informed his group. "Or they might just kill you."

Sakura and Naruto gulped_. I can't believe Sasuke's being put into the same category as these freaks,_ Naruto mumbled to himself. _Humph!_ He jammed his good hand into his pocket and pouted. But he was smart enough to follow his sensei's directions. Sakura kept her head down obediently and followed Kakashi's feet. Sai just nonchalantly walked behind them.

After turning left, right, then right again, Kakashi suddenly stopped, sending his students crashing into each other. "Ouch…" Naruto complained. "Are we there yet, sensei?"

"In fact, we are," Kakashi said. "You may look up now." He pointed to a dark grey door that was sealed with chains and a rusted lock. "Sasuke is behind this door." _So is he really this dangerous?_ He thought. _They're not even letting him see what's outside his cell._

Naruto gasped loudly and then calmed himself almost immediately. "W..What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" Sakura nodded in agreement, and Kakashi-sensei fished the key given to him out of his pocket and put it inside the lock.

**Just a note: I will be keeping this fanfiction as CLOSE to CANON as possible. So expect characters' personalities to be rather accurate, in relation to the actual Naruto story. So that means...Yeah, Sasuke's going to be Sasuke. =P Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2:  First Words

**Chapter 2: First Words**

The door slowly creaked open. Pulling the key out of the lock, Kakashi stepped into the cold, dark room, his students following. There was barely any light in the jail cell. Sunlight struggled to make its way into the tiny cracks in the chipped brick walls and the sole candle placed on the little stool in the far corner wasn't helping much at all. It was _just _bright enough for them to see.

The jail cell was about the size of a tiny bedroom. The floor was hard and made of stone. The walls were bare and the ceiling was empty. Sakura knew that every cell in this jailhouse had a chakra barrier on it, and that anyone enclosed within the barrier is automatically unable to perform ninjutsu, making the barrier impenetrable and almost foolproof. There was a bed in the room, and on that bed, there sat Uchiha Sasuke, former Konoha ninja and internationally wanted missing nin, responsible for the deaths of previous Hokage Danzo and Akatsuki members Deidara and Itachi. There sat the man who sought out to not only destroy Konoha, but to kill _anyone_ who stood in his way.

Sasuke showed barely any reaction to Team Kakashi entering his jail cell. He still kept his pose, with his feet firmly planted on the ground and his bandaged arms resting on his legs. Sakura exhaled. What _was_ that look in his eyes? Somehow, she felt very scared to look directly at him. He looked dangerous, every bit as dangerous as all the other prisoners in the jailhouse. And he was definitely not in good shape. _So this is what a week in prison can do to you,_ Sakura thought. Sasuke's skin had a greyish hue to it and there were bags under his pitch black eyes. He looked…Aged. Different. Drained of life.

Naruto was about to speak, but Kakashi silenced him. Then the elite jounin stepped forward and addressed Sasuke directly. "Why hello there, Sasuke-kun," he said in a cheery voice.

The Uchiha slowly raised his head and glared at his former sensei. "Get lost," he muttered. There was a definite contempt in his tone. He forced a sarcastic smile onto his face. "Or do you want to get killed?"

Kakashi chuckled, and Sakura took a step back. She cast a wary glance at Naruto, who was gritting his teeth and clenching his good fist. _Please,_ she begged internally. _Don't be mad at Sasuke-kun. He's been through a lot. We've all been through a lot. This is no time to be angry! _She hugged herself, suddenly feeling very cold. A tear trickled down her cheek.

Sai was still at the entrance. Hoping to break the uncomfortable silence in the jail cell, he slammed the door shut – BAM! - sending vibrations through the cold walls. "I don't believe that is any way to talk to your superiors, Sasuke-kun," he informed the prisoner with his signature fake smile. "Wouldn't you agree…Naruto-kun? Sakura-san?"

Sasuke finally noticed the presences of his former teammates. They were standing in the darkest part of the room, so he had to strain his eyes some to see them. Before, he could easily see in dim light, but he had Itachi's eyes now. Somehow, they didn't work as well as his own.

Ah, there was Naruto, looking as irritable as always. Sasuke grimaced. He could recognize that stupid orange outfit anywhere. There was the one who defeated him in such an utterly _humiliating_ way, the one who always stood between him and his goals. There was Uzumaki, his 'dearest friend'. Sasuke felt sick to his stomach thinking of Naruto in that way. Well, he _had _to admit that Naruto _did_ really care about him, but it disgusted him that Naruto seemed to constantly look _down_ on him. His eyes always had a pitying look to them, and if there was one thing Sasuke hated more than sweets and the Senju Clan, it was being pitied.

Ignoring Sai, Sasuke saw Sakura hovering in the background. She looked a bit different somehow. She looked weak, like she had just gone through something terrible. A part of Sasuke felt sorry for the girl, because he knew what that 'something' was. _War is hell_, he remembered what Madara – curse the bastard for existing! - had told him some time ago. _Especially when the enemy was someone…Well, me._

He noticed that she was crying. Sasuke always wondered why she still bothered to cry for him. What had he ever done for her to make himself worth shedding tears for? _I tried to kill her twice,_ he reflected unfeelingly. In fact, Sasuke did not understand why anyone in Konoha wanted to 'save' him so much. They were all so certain that they understood him. That he, Uchiha Sasuke, was one of them. Sasuke let out a dry laugh.

_No one will ever truly understand me._

**Thank you for reading! Gah, I have a feeling this will be a very long first fanfiction. It'll probably take forever for me to develop emotions for such a bitter character. I hope you continue following this story though! Please review~**


	4. Chapter 3:  Pitiful

**Chapter 3: Pitiful**

Another disturbing silence ensued. Even Kakashi felt a chill that stopped his breath when he heard Sasuke laugh. It wasn't a happy sound; that was for certain. To the son of Konoha's White Fang, it seemed more like a bitter curse to the world than a 'laugh', which was supposed to portray light, positive emotions. Kakashi was simply lost as to what to say to the prisoner who almost appeared to be emanating darkness.

Naruto felt a wave of grief hit him hard. What had _happened_ to his friend? He breathed heavily, trying to conceal his emotion. "What's so funny?" He asked Sasuke, his voice flat.

"What's so funny, you say?" The Uchiha threw his head back and sneered. "You must know. In fact, I bet _you _are all laughing too. At _me_, no? I was duped by Itachi and duped by Madara. You're probably thinking that I'm pathetic; I wasted all my life: struggling to kill someone who never should've died, and being the pawn of someone who fed me lies. You must think this is all hilarious."

Sai looked askance at Naruto for his reaction, but he didn't have any. The dark haired ANBU then looked down and realized that his own hand was quivering. Sai flashbacked to when he first met Uchiha Sasuke. _It's that same feeling_, he remembered. _This strange, hollow feeling people describe as 'fear'. I felt it then and I'm feeling it now. _

"Hilarious, no. Pathetic, yes." On a mere whim, Kakashi pointed this out to Sasuke. Courage was forming in his chest. _I am Hatake Kakashi, one of Konoha's best jounin. Why should I be afraid of my own student?_ "Unlike some people in this world," he hesitated but continued speaking, "I – and your former teammates – are not unfeeling enough to laugh at other's pain. But I would definitely agree with you that we think you are _absolutely_ pitiful."

_What?_ Sakura turned her head and looked at Kakashi with wide, open eyes. Naruto did the same_. Is he trying to get us killed? _

Sasuke growled at the masked man standing before him. "The fuck did you say?" He dug his fingernails into the mattress he was sitting on and glared fiercely at his audience.

"You are absolutely pitiful," Kakashi repeated his statement nonchalantly. "Not only pitiful, but stupid too. What _idiot _would believe Madara's words? You should've realized that man was lying to you as soon as he told you that Kyuubi's attack on Konoha seventeen years ago was a 'natural' incident. And furthermore, it is laughable that you thought Madara was going to aid you in your goals. He gave you his life story; after hearing that, you really believed he was the type to help others? It's shameful, Sasuke-kun. You really deserved this after all your naïveté and stupidity." Kakashi paused for effect. He chuckled softly. "Even_ Naruto_ wouldn't have fallen for it."

Sasuke felt an extreme urge to blast his former sensei with a Chidori, but he knew he couldn't, due to the chakra barrier. In fact, he couldn't even stand up. Not only had week in prison had weakened him considerably, nurses usually put bizarre medications in his food that made him feel fragile and groggy. But he had his words at least. "Do. Not. Compare. Me. _To. That. Faggot_." He bared his teeth and swore multiple times at Kakashi. "And fuck off, all of you! Leave me alone!"

Sakura, who had not spoken all this time, finally found her voice. "Sai," she said, talking to the emotionless boy but facing the prisoner. "I don't believe I answered your question yet. Yes, I do agree that it is absolutely inappropriate for anyone to address their superiors in such an offensive way." She gulped, something akin to anger holding her in her place. "And Sasuke-kun, don't talk about Naruto in that way!" Her voice rose in volume and strength. "Naruto did nothing wrong; you don't have any right to say _anything _right now!"

Sasuke tilted his head at the pink-haired girl's words, feeling a bit surprised that she would talk back to him. He was even more surprised when Sakura turned around and grabbed the sleeve of Naruto's shirt and headed towards the exit. "C'mon, let's go," she said, her voice shaking just a bit. "Naruto, Sai, Kakashi-sensei…Sasuke-kun doesn't seem to want us here anyways."

Soundlessly, her team followed her through the door. Sakura felt dizzy. _Oh, why did I say that?_ She moaned internally_. Sasuke-kun is probably really mad, and Naruto and Sai probably think I'm crazy. I…I'm the real pitiful one._

* * *

><p>Team Kakashi walked out of the jailhouse and back down the streets of Konoha without a single word. Kakashi finally broke the silence when they reached the Hokage's office. "Ah, Sakura-chan," he said. "I just remembered; Tsunade-sama wants a word with you."<p>

**Since it's summer right now, I'll be able to update quite frequently. xD Thank you to everyone who likes this story; Please continue reviewing! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 4:  A Job to Do

**Chapter 4: A Job to Do**

In another prison house not too far away, Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin were being held captive. Karin was pissed. Really pissed. Those stupid Konoha people had not only stuffed her in a jail cell, they just _had _to put Idiot Suigetsu and Creepy Jugo in the same cell as her. She sighed. It was probably _partially _her fault. Karin had tried to charm Ibiki Morino into letting her go free, but the stuffy Konoha Jounin was completely untouched. As punishment, Karin was thrown into the same cell as her two male teammates.

"At least Jugo hasn't been acting up," she mumbled to herself. _Why didn't the Konohagakure shinobi believe me when I said Jugo was a complete madman?_ She looked over to Jugo who was sitting peacefully on the other side of the room. _Well, he sure doesn't look it._

"Whatcha talking to yourself about, Karin?" Suigetsu got up and walked over to Karin. Much to her distaste, he sat down beside her and clicked his fingers in front of her face. "You've been really stone-faced and weird ever since we got captured. You feeling okay?"

Karin got up and slapped Suigetsu right across the face. "_Baka! _Of course I'm okay!" She pushed her glasses up and let out a 'humph' sound. "And me, weird? You should take a good look at yourself!"

Suigetsu sighed, rubbing his liquefied cheek. "I'm worried about Sasuke," he told her. "I heard he got locked up too, but not in _this _jailhouse. He's in pretty bad shape."

Karin turned around, avoiding Suigetsu's gaze. She didn't want to think about that boy anymore. _I don't care about him like I did before, _she convinced herself. She remembered being impaled through the chest. _Sasuke's…Changed._

"How do you know about his location?" Jugo finally spoke, and his voice was calm and serious. He looked Suigetsu directly in the eye. Out of all of them, Jugo was the most loyal to Sasuke.

"Bah, the guards here are real gossips! And would you believe it, they took away my sword!" Suigetsu pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. "These people are tyrants."

"No one gives a damn about your sword!"

"Ouch! You're such a brute."

"Me, a brute?"

"Yeah, you! Either that or you got serious mental problems."

Jugo ignored their bantering. He pondered for a few moments, and drew in a deep breath. "Guys, stop," he said. Karin and Suigetsu looked up, Suigetsu splattered all over the floor and Karin massaging her bruised fist. "We should find a way to get out of here immediately and rescue Sasuke."

"Aw, already? We've only been here a week, and truthfully, I think I needed a good rest." Suigetsu scratched his head and yawned. "Meh, I'm gonna take a nap."

Karin was silent. She flashbacked back to when she met Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. They had been so convinced that they could redeem Sasuke and bring him back to Konoha. She sensed in their chakra a certain warmth, a certain light. A certain_ love_ for the Uchiha_. Now that he's back,_ she wondered. _Are they happy now?_ She lowered her eyes to the ground. Somehow, she didn't think so.

* * *

><p>Sakura knocked on the door to Tsunade's office. "Who is it?" A familiar voice called out from inside.<p>

"It's me, Haruno Sakura, milady." She opened the door and smiled at her master. She walked up to her desk. "Kakashi-sensei told me you wanted to see me."

"Oh yes, I did. I have a job for you." The Hokage put aside her paperwork, some of which fell onto the floor, and directed her full attention to her student. "But first, I heard that Team Kakashi visited Uchiha Sasuke today."

Sakura flushed and looked askance. "Um, yeah."

"How was it?"

Sakura didn't know what to say. "It was…Okay," she tried to sound cool and disconnected.

Tsunade gave the girl a sympathetic smile. She knew it would be hard for her. Probably even harder for her than Naruto.

"But enough about that," Sakura said. "What did you call me here for?"

Tsunade sighed and leaned back on her armchair. A frown line appeared between her eyebrows. "Sadly, this _does _have something to do about Uchiha Sasuke. Sit down, Sakura." She pointed at the chair on the other side of the room. Sakura went to go get it, and sat down in front of the Hokage.

"What about Sasuke-kun? Don't tell me that the Raikage still wants him dead."

"Well, yes, but, that's not the point." Tsunade paused until she saw that Sakura's facial expression had returned to normal. "The thing is, every couple of days, one of our nurses goes to Sasuke's cell to administer the boy with a few tranquilizers. To calm him down, you see. He usually can't move after he gets a shot of the medicinal drug, which is a good thing since otherwise, he'd have broken through by now."

"Uh huh."

"The drugs _only _last that long, though, so when the nurses go to re-tranquilize him after two days are up, he'd be pretty much alert."

"So?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at Sakura. "Do I have to explain this to you? Last time, he almost killed the poor girl."

Sakura frowned. "Then why don't they just drug him every day?"

Tsunade shook her head. "We're using a rather powerful tranquilizer, Sakura. After Sasuke's training with Orochimaru, a lot of our weaker drugs don't work on him anymore. With the one we're using, if we drug him _every _day, the boy will die."

"Oh," Sakura mouthed. She didn't speak for a few moments. "But...How does this relate to what you want me to do?"

Tsunade reached over to her stack of paperwork and pulled out a letter. "I received this from the Konoha Hospital," she said. "All of our available nurses are too scared to go to Uchiha Sasuke's cell anymore. They don't want to risk their lives, and I agreed to their request. Furthermore, all our shinobi who are familiar with medicine are all on missions."

Sakura's face fell. "So you want me to go," she said.

"Well," Tsunade exhaled deeply. "Yes. There's a pretty good chance Sasuke won't kill you; you're pretty strong yourself, too. You'll be alone with him five minutes top. It won't be too bad. Can you do this for me, Sakura?"

Sakura pressed her lips into a thin line. She shrugged. "Alright, I'll do it."

Tsunade noticed that her student's voice was shaking a bit, so she placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Thank you," she said. "You'll be going at seven thirty this evening."

**A slightly longer chapter to make up for not updating these two days. =P I know my pacing's somewhat slow, but only like this can I properly develop plotline and emotion. /pushes up glasses/ I hope you continue reading, and don't forget to review!**


	6. Chapter 5:  Plan

**Chapter 5: Plan**

Sasuke was, as usual, alone with his thoughts. He glared at the door to his prison cell with cold, unforgiving eyes. Seven days. He had spent the last seven days in this wretched room, and his hatred for the village and its people was still strong.

Now in a common person's eyes, any attempts to escape _now_ from Konoha's Red Gate Prison would be completely futile. But Uchiha Sasuke was definitely not a 'common person'. In fact, Sasuke thought himself to be the farthest from that characterization. He chuckled emotionlessly_. I know I cannot physically break out of this cell myself,_ he pondered. _There is no possible way to do such a thing. I'm not in good shape and these people have drugged me so I can barely even move. But there _must _be a way._

Every minute he had spent in the jailhouse, Sasuke had been planning ways to escape. His ideas were incredibly limited; what could the boy do without his genjustsu and ninjutsu? Sasuke groaned. He'd been relying on his Sharingan way too much through the years. _When I get out of here,_ he thought to himself, _I need to hone my other skills. I'll train for a bit, and then I'll go back and destroy Konoha._

Sasuke knew he couldn't break out on his own. He needed someone else's help. It was a hard thing to admit. He thought of his older brother, who had died protecting him and this abominable village. _What would he have done if he were in a similar situation?_ Sasuke knew that even Itachi had support behind him. But unlike him, Itachi had a kind heart and a compassionate personality. _He probably had a lot of friends, but me?_

Sasuke thought of Team Taka. They weren't exactly 'friends' with him, but Suigetsu and Jugo were certainly loyal enough. _Loyal, yes,_ Sasuke scoffed, _but available? No._ Konoha had locked those two up in a cell somewhere too. And Karin was useless and stupid; Sasuke never cared about her.

The sound of a key turning pulled Sasuke away from his thoughts. It was probably one of those nurses again. He had wrung the last one's neck; Sasuke didn't like these people one bit. Who gave them the right to decide he was the crazy one? To Sasuke, it was _they _who needed to be tranquilized. Specifically, the Konoha leaders who ordered Itachi to kill his family so many years ago. Those people were the _real _criminals.

The door to his cell slowly opened, and in came a kunoichi Sasuke knew all too well. Standing in the pale light was a girl with chin-length pink hair and bright, emerald green eyes: Haruno Sakura.

Suddenly, a light flickered on in Sasuke's head. This girl was the answer. He knew her personality; she was smart and level-headed, but there was a weakness in her that made her vulnerable. When she had told him off this afternoon, Sasuke had sensed that weakness. And now he was sure that he could _use_ her rather nicely. Sakura had connections to many of the top shinobi in Konoha. The_ Hokage_ was even her master and friend. But most of all – Sasuke shook his head at the ridiculous fact – she _loved _him. Sakura could help him escape. He was sure of it.

Sasuke watched Sakura consciously step into the room, pulling in a cart of needles and other medical supplies. _So they called her this time._ The kunoichi stopped a few metres in front of him and began to prepare her needles. She was very silent. Sasuke sensed that she was afraid.

"Sakura," he suddenly said in a low, careful voice.

The girl looked up with a surprised expression in her distinctive eyes. "Y-yes?"

"I need you to do something for me."

**What will happen next? xDD Please review and wait for my next update~**

**EDIT: Actually, I won't update until I get a couple of reviews. :( I want some feedback so I can improve and I really want to hear how everyone feels about this fanfiction.**


	7. Chapter 6:  Lies

**Chapter 6: Lies**

Sakura looked up at the raven-haired boy. She put her needle down on the sanitized medical tray. "Huh?" She smiled weakly. "I'm sorry…Pardon?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. How was he going to do this? He quickly went through things to say in his head_. I can't do this directly,_ he thought. _Or she won't cooperate with me._ Sasuke stayed silent and Sakura took that as a sign of annoyance. She slowly moved towards the prisoner, her medical supplies in hand.

Sakura grumbled internally. She wished she had never agreed to do this. The girl felt awkward being in the same room as her former teammate. She _did _hear Sasuke's words. He wanted her to 'do something for him'. _Well of course,_ she thought. _He thinks I might be useful._ _Isn't that the only reason he speaks to people nowadays?_ Sasuke had really changed.

Sakura remembered how he was like _before _he left the village. Yes, he was cold and rather aloof most of the time, but he still cared for others. Sakura admitted that her original reason for loving him was because of his brooding good looks, but soon, her love for him grew into something much, _much _deeper.

Sakura grimaced slightly. She didn't want to think back to the 'good old times'. Stopping in front of Sasuke, she held up her needle. "Please hold out your arm."

Sasuke glanced at Sakura's pale hand. It was quivering. The prisoner tilted his head. He couldn't drag this out any longer. Ignoring her demand, Sasuke looked right into Sakura's bright green eyes. "I need to get out of Konoha."

Sakura dropped her hand, a look of surprise momentarily crossing her delicate facial features. She regained her composure and frowned. "You do know that it isn't going to happen, Sasuke-kun."

_I expected her to say that,_ he thought. "I've done a lot of thinking," he told her. He lied through his teeth: "I realized that Kakashi was…right about me. Madara used me like a pawn. And I…I thought that if I destroyed Konoha, I would have truly avenged Itachi and my clan. But my older brother loved this village. I…Need to get out of here and make things right. I feel like I am going _mad_." There were pauses in his speech, but overall, his tone was smooth. _Good lord, _he cursed to himself_. I can't believe I just said that._

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. A bitter anger boiled up inside of her. So he thought she was stupid enough to believe that? "What made you change your mind so quickly?" She tried to keep her voice calm. "Just this morning, you were swearing at Kakashi-sensei and insulting Naruto. Don't think we're all mindless idiots. Don't lie; I _know _what your real intentions are."

She continued speaking. "And even if you really wanted to 'make things right', all you'd do is kill Madara. I learned from this war that killing and avenging and all that doesn't solve anything."

The missing nin was silent. He didn't think Sakura would see through his deceptions_. So the girl isn't as naïve as I thought. _He smiled humourlessly.

There was an awkward silence. The two of them were still. Then an interesting thought came to Sakura's mind. _If I were to help him escape, maybe I'll find out more about his feelings. Maybe I'll be able to see just what's making him so dark and bitter. Maybe I'll be able to help him overcome his troubles. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to help him find his old self._

_It's decided_. She pressed her lips into a thin line. _I'll lie too._

Suddenly, Sakura let out a girly giggle. "Just _kidding_!" She grinned really wide. "I was testing your reaction, and good news! I'll still alive." Sasuke's head snapped up and he stared at her with a peculiar expression on his face. _What?_

"Of course I'll help you escape if you've changed your mind about destroying Konoha; I don't like seeing my teammates locked up in prison cells. I'm sorry I yelled at you this morning. I should've given you more time to think things through before assuming you were evil." Sakura shrugged apologetically. She twirled her needle. "But I still have to drug you," she said. "Or Tsunade-sama will get suspicious."

Sasuke chuckled dryly. The girl wasn't speaking the truth; He knew her well enough to know that. But she did agree to help him; that was all that mattered. Sasuke calculated that Sakura would inform the Hokage of his request, but she wouldn't immediately sell him out. She wouldn't waste such a _golden opportunity_. Would a few days be long enough to escape? Sasuke was sure that Sakura, even if she was lying, would get him out of the village. What would happen after that would be a wild card, but the missing nin predicted that Konoha shinobi would step in about then. Though honestly, Sasuke didn't necessarily care about what would come later. _I'd just kill them all,_ he thought, _after I get past the Konoha border. My chakra ban would come off, and I'd use Amaterasu and burn them all to a crisp. _Starting with Team 7.

"Alright then," Sasuke went along with her lie. "Thank you for deciding to help me. Come visit me again sometime tomorrow." He held out his arm, and Sakura stepped forward, pressing the needle into his skin.

Sakura left after that. She closed the door behind her and smiled strangely. Then she exited the prison house and went to see Tsunade-sama.

**Sorry for the late update. _ I was busy arranging a party for my website's fifth birthday. 8D**

**Please review. Again, I won't write a new chapter until I get a couple of reviews. =P School is going to start soon, so yeah.**

**Furthermore, RIP Jack Layton, Leader of the Official Opposition of Canada. We Canadians will always remember your leadership. NDP Forever!**


	8. Chapter 7:  A New Mission

**Chapter 7: A New Mission**

"Argh, this sucks!" It was morning again, and though the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day…Naruto was not in a good mood. He glared at Sai, who had a perfectly stoic expression on his face. "Hey you! Why aren't you pissed? Kakashi-sensei _still _hasn't arrived, and Sakura-chan's late too!"

Team Kakashi was supposed to meet at the Konoha Park to discuss their next mission. Naruto had no idea what they were assigned, but he hoped for something awesome_. I haven't completed a mission in ages!_ He grumbled to himself_. All because of that stupid war…Geez. I wish Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan would just hurry up already!_

"Hmm…This is Sakura-san's first time being late." Sai took out a black-covered book and flipped through the pages. "This book tells me that punctual people are well liked." He closed the book and turned his head to look at Naruto. "Does this mean that people generally dislike Kakashi-sensei, and that Sakura-san wishes to be hated?"

Naruto walked over to the park bench a few steps to his right and sat down. "Whatever. Even if I explain it to you, you won't get it anyways."

"Naruto! Sai!" Sakura came around the corner and waved at the two boys. Kakashi-sensei followed her with a slightly apologetic look on his face. "Sorry we're late, but sensei has a _legitimate _reason this time."

_A _legitimate _reason this time? What do these children think of me?_ Kakashi sighed. "We were visiting the Hokage," He said. "She was explaining our mission, and now I shall explain it to you -"

Naruto got up and threw his arms over his head. "What? Why did you go without us? Was Granny-sama telling you top secret information or something?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his mentor. "And why did Sakura-chan get to go?"

Sakura chuckled. It was so like Naruto to overreact. "No, nothing like that. It's just that yesterday, Tsunade-sama told me to go to…" She paused. Sakura still felt uncomfortable saying Sasuke's name, especially around Naruto.

Kakashi put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "It's okay. I'll explain." He turned to Naruto and Sai. "The Hokage had ordered Sakura-chan to go to Sasuke-kun's cell again last evening to re-tranquilize him."

Sai crossed his arms and put on a contemplative look. "I did hear that Konoha was short of accessible medics. And then again, even if there were nurses available, I don't believe anyone _in their right mind_ would _want_ to be in the same room with such a shit-for-brains missing nin like him for even a second." He glanced at Sakura and smiled vacantly. "No wonder the Hokage chose you to go."

Sakura twitched; Naruto gulped and Kakashi tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Now now," Kakashi laughed nervously. He tentatively let go of Sakura after she appeared to regain her calm and continued speaking. "So Sakura-chan did as told and went to visit Sasuke-kun. But as you all saw yesterday, he isn't the way…he used to be."

"Yeah, that's for sure." Naruto's voice dropped low and he stared down sadly at the ground. "I thought that he'd revert back to his old persona, now that the war's over. But it turns out that after all this time, I still can't understand him." His eyes slowly widened and he tilted his head back up. "Last evening…What happened?"

"He told me," Sakura exhaled deeply, "That he wanted to escape. To get _out _of this village. And that he thought I could help him."

There was a shocked silence. Sai eventually broke it. "Ah, so is he really that stupid? He must know that Konoha is the most secured village in the Land of Fire."

Kakashi smiled at the pale boy. "Since you are still unfamiliar with human emotions, this may not make sense to you, but we – as in Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama, and I – thought that this would be an excellent opportunity to really get to know Sasuke-kun. To see how he actually feels and why he is doing what he is. Only if we can break the barriers surrounding his heart, can we actually redeem him."

Sakura nodded. "I…told Sasuke-kun I'd help him escape, but I don't believe he completely trusts me yet." She smiled weakly at the group. "But that's alright; he can't hurt me for the time being."

"Sakura-chan will sneak Sasuke-kun out of Konoha. She will act as if she is loyal to _him_. After they cross the border, we will capture Sasuke-kun and bring him back."

"Well, that sounds kinda pointless to me," Naruto frowned.

"I would agree. Why let him run amuck just to capture him again?" Sai's face was blank (as usual) but he sounded concerned. "That would not only waste our time, but also our efforts."

"Do you think Tsunade-sama would agree on doing something so 'wasteful' and 'pointless'? If I…If I can succeed in finding out what's making Sasuke-kun…The way he is and maybe even lower the number of internationally wanted criminals in Konoha by one, then this would definitely not be a waste." Sakura tried to sound strong, but deep down, she was very unsure about the whole plan.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Naruto looked worriedly at his teammate. "Sakura-chan, be careful. Last time, remember what happened? During the war, he tried to kill you…"

Kakashi cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "We will be helping her. Don't worry." He paused and gestured at Naruto and Sai, beckoning them to come closer. "Team Kakashi, this is our mission: Sai and Naruto-kun, we will be assisting Haruno Sakura as discreetly as possible in breaking Uchiha Sasuke out of Konoha. We will be tracking the two via a tracking device and remain silent and unsuspicious, but we _will _step in if Sakura-chan happens to be in danger. Once the two of them get out of Konohagakure, we will assist the ANBU squads in capturing Sasuke-kun. Sakura-chan, you know what to do."

The team nodded in unison.

"Alright!" Kakashi handed Sakura a red pill and a pager. "Swallow that and we will be able to track your location. I've already asked the Hokage to hide an identical pill into Sasuke-kun's food. Our mission starts as soon as Sakura gives us a signal via the paging device." Sakura swallowed the pill and put the pager in her pouch.

"I will go see Sasuke-kun now," she said. "Wait for my signal."

And Sakura ran off towards the prison house.

**Things will get exciting soon. xD School's starting in a couple of weeks. Expect not-so-frequent updates.**

**Please review! **


	9. Chapter 8:  In the Meantime

**Chapter 8: In the Meantime**

On the other side of Konohagakure, Team 8, 9, and 10 were eating at the barbeque restaurant in the village. They had rented out a huge table; everyone was sitting around it and having a good time.

Shikamaru had just come back from a bothersome mission dealing with jounin from another village. That was a pain. He took a piece of meat that looked suspiciously raw, but stuck it into his mouth anyways_. Eh, whatever. _He listened to the murmur of voices in the restaurant and sighed.

Chouji was, as usual, eating like there was no tomorrow. Ino raised her eyebrows at him disapprovingly. "Chouji, you know that if you eat too fast, you're gonna choke." She flipped her hair and rested her chin in her hands.

"Being able to eat that fast is a sign of youth and vigour!" Lee sat on the other side of the table with his teammates. His sensei wasn't in Konoha; Might Guy was assigned an S-rank mission somewhere in Kirigakure. Kurenai was at least in Konoha, but she was at home, taking care of her new baby boy.

TenTen giggled. "You're always talking like that. Right, Neji?" Neji slowly nodded as he examined his chopsticks, noticing a chip in the wood.

Team 8 sat beside Team 9. "I can't believe the manager didn't let Akamaru in!" Kiba growled, glaring at a sign on the restaurant door that said 'no dogs allowed'.

Hinata laughed quietly. "Well, Shino-san didn't get to come in either. The manager thought he would bring bugs into the restaurant." Her face fell. "I…I wish Naruto-kun and his team could've eaten with us." She blushed lightly when she said Naruto's name. She put her chopsticks back on her plate.

"Mmph!" Chouji attempted to speak, his mouth still full of food. "I heard that Team 7 has a new mission or something."

"Oh yes!" Lee nodded his head enthusiastically. "I think it has something to do with Uchiha. When I ran past the Hokage's office last evening, I heard Sakura-san mention Sasuke-kun's name to Tsunade-sama."

Ino cringed. _Ah, Sasuke-kun,_ she thought. She remembered how much she used to love him. Ino had even sacrificed her friendship with Sakura to fight for his heart, but at the end, all her efforts had gone to waste. _Oh well. Who cares if he doesn't 'see' me. It just means he has absolutely no taste in women._

"What were you doing there last evening, Lee?" Neji inquired. "I don't think eavesdropping on other's affairs is a moral thing to do."

"No, no! I wasn't eavesdropping; I was training! I'd told myself I'd run through all of Konohagakure in less than two hours." Lee gave his rival a nice-guy smile.

"Well, whatever they're going to do about Sasuke, 'hope it doesn't cause more trouble." Shikamaru leaned back in his chair and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Suddenly, a young woman with jet black hair pushed into the restaurant. "I'm not here to eat," she quickly told the waiter at the door, and ran to the shinobis' table. Team 8, 9, and 10 stared at her with surprised eyes. The woman gently put down her pet pig and grinned tiredly at her audience. "Hi!"

"S…Shizune-san!" Hinata greeted her warmly and pat TonTon on the head.

"What brings you here?" Kiba was secretly annoyed that no one said anything about her_ pig_, but _Akamaru _was still outside, patiently waiting for his master.

Shizune regained her composure and brushed sweat off her forehead. Then she put a finger to her lips. "All of you," she said, getting everyone's attention. "This will have to be secret for the whole thing to work. Do you swear to not tell _anyone _about your next assignment…which I am going to tell you right now?"

The group nodded. _This sounds serious,_ Shikamaru thought.

"Thank you." Shizune made eye contact with everyone in the circle. "The Hokage has ordered you to help Kakashi's team with their assignment." She told them about Team 7's new mission as softly as she could. She went over everybody's jobs and explained the purpose of the whole procedure.

"Again, all that I have told you has to remain confidential. We can't screw this up, or Uchiha Sasuke will get suspicious. Do you understand?"

Lee made a thumbs-up sign and everyone copied his gesture. "We understand," he said. "And we'll do this. _For our friends!"_

* * *

><p>In the meantime, a masked man was sitting on the statue of Hashirama Senju in the Final Valley. He glared at his own statue opposite Hashirama's. "They thought I had died back then," he said to himself, recalling what had happened so many years ago. "Just like how they think I had lost this war."<p>

The man stood up and hopped down from the top of the statue. He watched the waters tumble down the valley_. But they'll know,_ he smiled and turned away enigmatically. _That Uchiha Madara never loses._

**This was kind of an "intermission" chapter so I could highlight one of the many troubles that lie ahead. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed it. Please review and keep on reading! 8D Wait for my next update~**


	10. Chapter 9:  Operation Beginning

**Chapter 9: Operation Beginning**

"Here's a map of the Konoha Red Gate Prison," Sakura fished out a folded piece of paper from her pouch and handed it to Sasuke. She took the wooden stool in the far corner and brought it next to the missing nin, and sat down.

Sasuke took the map from Sakura's slightly quivering hand and carefully examined the document. It seemed like the real thing, but was it? He glanced surreptitiously at the pink haired kunoichi at his side, who was staring at him with an earnest, innocent look on her face. "Thank you," he said coolly. "How did you get this?"

Sakura smiled, looking absolutely guiltless. "I told the guards I wanted to see my former teammate," she lied smoothly. Truthfully, Tsunade-sama had given her the map. "And I said that I might get lost in such a weird, dark place. So they let me borrow this for my visit. I'll have to give it back though…" _To the Hokage,_ she added internally.

"I see." Sasuke was busy finding out as much as he could about his location.

The map showed the different sections of the prison house as well as all the control rooms, etc. Sakura had marked where his cell was. _So I'm in the north wing, hmm?_ There was only one exit in the entire building, Sasuke noted. _The main gate._ It would be difficult to escape; That door was guarded not only by two elite jounin from dawn to dusk, the ANBU also patrolled that place 24/7. He pointed that out to Sakura. "How do you suppose I can make it past the guards?"

"You can't." Sakura shrugged, sounding natural and unworried. "It's impossible. Many have tried and failed." She stood up and walked to the wall. Placing her hand on the hard, painted granite, she knocked on it a couple of times. "But…I heard that every wall in this prison house is made of a different material."

Sasuke tilted his head. "Oh? Why? And how is that important?"

"Well, the village needn't waste money, don't you think?" She turned around and leaned against the granite, not looking directly at Sasuke. "Stronger criminals need stronger walls to keep them in, obviously, but weaker criminals don't."

"And you are saying?"

"In the north wing (where _you_ are), your cell is the most heavily fortified. Konoha spent a lot of money making it." Sakura paused. "But all the other walls in this sector are pretty weak and breakable -"

Sasuke held out a hand to quiet her. "Breakable, yes. But I'm sure that I'd get caught the moment I smash anything." He was beginning to doubt how helpful this girl would be.

"I'm not telling you to smash anything." Sakura frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "Let me finish first."

"Alright." Sasuke leaned back on his hands. "So _what _is it that you are suggesting?"

Sakura just winked and walked up to her former teammate and love interest. She put a finger to her lips and, sitting down, she whispered the details of her plan to Sasuke.

The indifferent, uninterested expression on the boy's face changed into something like a smile. "Brilliant," he mouthed back. "Simply brilliant." _I was right in choosing Sakura after all. _ He almost felt _sorry _that he had to kill her after he got out of this detestable village.

"I knew you'd say that," The pink haired kunoichi said. "So you know what to do, right?" She got up and walked towards the exit of the cell. Throwing a small, rusted metal key over her shoulder - which Sasuke caught perfectly, Sakura nodded at the missing nin. "I'll be waiting for you _outside _the prison house at eight o' clock tonight."

* * *

><p>Leaving the Konoha Red Gate Prison, Sakura felt a sense of adrenaline rushing through her. <em>Yes!<em> She thought. _I did it._ She giggled strangely. _ I wonder why I became a shinobi instead of an actress. _Then she took out the pager that her sensei gave her and sent a message to Kakashi. "It's beginning."

**The author is getting busier and busier these days. 0_0 And she will get even busier after school starts in a week. Aw. _**

**But still, please read, review and wait for my next update!**


	11. Chapter 10:  Another Intermission

**Chapter 10: Another Intermission**

Karin was still moping around. She had squeezed herself into the farthest corner of the room to avoid her teammates, namely, Suigetsu. But Suigetsu didn't seem to notice her obvious disgust for himself. He was busy talking to Jugo, hoping that conversation would stop the guy, or at least,_ delay_ him from going into Curse Mark mode.

"We've been here for eight days now, and they're expecting us to stay locked up forever? Geez."

Jugo nodded slowly, barely changing his facial expression. "Uchiha Sasuke has it worse than us," he said. "At least we have some company, and we can see outside our jail cell." But really, there wasn't anything interesting outside their cell. They were the only locked up prisoners in the entire hall.

Suigetsu sighed. "You really do respect the guy, huh, Jugo?" He got up and stretched his arms. "Well, knowing Sasuke, he's probably figuring a way to get outta this place. Ya think we've got any chance of escaping? The security's way higher here than in the Land of Iron."

A voice called out from across the hall. "Hello."

Jugo turned to see a Konohagakure prison guard locking the cell opposite them. The guard had on a mask that covered all his face except for his eyes. He wore a Konoha chunin vest, a headgear, and his headband was worn on his right arm.

"Whaddaya want?" Suigetsu glanced suspiciously at the guard. Karin looked up, interested.

"You three must be the ones I heard about; you used to work with Uchiha Sasuke, am I correct?" The guard's voice was smooth and kind, but Suigetsu didn't trust it. He just scoffed and mumbled something under his breath.

"Yeah, we are! So what?" Karin's reaction was also quite unfriendly. She folded her arms across her chest.

The guard chuckled. "I can give you some information about Sasuke," he said. "He is currently locked up at the Konoha Red Gate Prison and based on what I know, he is to escape tonight. An accomplice close to the Hokage is going to help him."

"What?" Team Taka stared at the guard strangely. "Hey, you're with Konoha, right?" Karin called out to the stranger. "Why are you telling us all this?"

The guard looked around to see if there was anyone present other than himself and his audience. He smiled under his mask after seeing that they were alone. "I have my reasons," he said as he took off his headgear, showing a head full of light grey hair that fell to his chin.

Jugo frowned. He tried to remember what made this guy seem so familiar. "Who are you anyways?" He asked.

"You could suppose that I am not your enemy." Finally, the stranger peeled his mask off, revealing a young face that the three former allies of Orochimaru knew too well.

A stunned gasp came from the group. The "guard" chuckled sadistically as he walked forward and unlocked Team Taka's cell. He held out a hand to Suigetsu, who had fallen over out of shock. "You! I thought you died!" The violet eyed boy didn't know what else to say. "T-t-they even found your body!"

It was _Kabuto_. "Humph. Konoha isn't that careful," he said. "They _thought _they found my body, but it was actually just one of my corpse dolls."

Karin shuddered. Kabuto, Orochimaru's former medic and right hand man, was alive and standing in front of them. What was he going to do? "What…What do you want from us, Kabuto-san?"

Kabuto smiled creepily, his expression reminiscent of the late great Sannin. "Nothing, at the moment, but I do wish to help you out." He pointed at the open cell door. "You may escape now."

Silence ensued. Jugo broke it. "Why?"

"Don't you want to help Sasuke-kun?" Kabuto's voice was twisted. "I am offering you the opportunity to, and this is the_ only_ chance you'll have for freedom."

"But why?" Suigetsu wished he had a weapon. He shuffled back a few inches. "I thought you wished to kill Sasuke."

"Ah, my plans will come later," Kabuto said. "But in the meanwhile, let's all be friends, hmm?" He held open the cell door, nodding at his audience.

**Sorry that this is another intermission chapter. (It's even titled as so…) =O Still, it was an important one, IMO.**

**The chapter where Sasuke gets out of his cell will be kind of long, but since I'm really busy these days, I'll write that one (next chapter) on one of my less jam-packed afternoons. ^_^ Hope you understand~**

**Please review and wait for my next update!**


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